England have announced an unchanged squad from the one which won at Headingley. Also in this report from the BBC, a comment from David Graveney that Andrew Flintoff is expected to be back playing a full part for England before the end of the summer.

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Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

Why do England always have to try and rush the best players back?

They aren't placing a lot of faith in the understudies to perform in Fred's absence... still, a chance for Sidebottom to (hopefully) prove that his performance at Headingley was no fluke, and that he can cut it at this level.

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna

Well, WI have brought in Sammy for his debut for the injured Sarwan and Edwards for Powell. Now while I welcome the return of Fidel Edwards, I am totally amazed that the selectors have decide to bring him in for Powell. Surely Taylor should have been replaced. Perhaps I missed something (maybe Taylor took a 10 fer in the warm up game) but Taylor was by far the weakest of the WI seamers in the 1st 2 tests. Can someone provide a link to that warm up game.

Anyway, if the weather holds up, I see England winning in under 4 days.

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

Strauss fails again,lbw to Taylor for 6.

Vaughan wasn't booed which surprised me.

Maybe because people read the original article rationally and sensibly?

I'll ready myself for Ern berating Strauss given his dismissal. I just hope Ian Bell makes a big score or there'll be some long posts later...

To be honest Strauss must be under some pressure now as he is failing regularly against a powderpuff attack that everyone else has made runs against.He didn't have a great winter but in his favour is the fact there is no obvious opening replacement as Vaughan likes to bat at 3 and Trescothick isn't ready to return.

I hope Strauss can atone in the 2nd innings as i do like him but he must be feeling the heat now.

England off to an absolute flyer thanks to too much wayward bowling.64-1 off 10 is crazy in a test match.

Past fifty within 8 overs, seems like pretty woeful bowling from an inconsistent Taylor and an out-of-practice Edwards, whom I have never thought much of to date. Cook appears to be flying along but Vaughan is still playing himself in. Think I'll get this on the radio after lunch.

62/1 now as Vaughan appears to have got going with a cover driven boundary.

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvw...ch/275781.html

The pitch sounds a bit inconsistant, some balls have reared up off parts yet others seem almost dead. Edwards was bowling very fast early on - the problem was the odd bad ball, the quicker balls not being taken cleanly by Ramdin and some woeful misfields by the fielders, which has led to England's early dominance.

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna

I am very surprised Powell is not playing, with his pace he could have caused England problems.

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Ern

112-1 at lunch.

Another excellent session for England with Cook looking ominously good again and Vaughan despite a scratchy start beginning to look good as well.We want at least one of these two to go on and score a ton and put England totally in command of the test.

I think the West Indies have failed to make use of the pitch which did give some assistance early on but the lack of quality in their bowling line up is obviously the reason.Whether England would have done any better though is open to question.